Railway car journal box



p 1962 T. R. BOOTH 3,05

RAILWAY CAR JOURNAL BOX Filed Jan. 11, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fiq INVENTOR. 790M145 5 7 14770, mas- Sept. 25, 1962 'r. R. BOOTH 3,055,715

RAILWAY CAR JOURNAL BOX Filed Jan. 11, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Ofihce 3,055,715 Patented Sept. 25, 1962 3,055,715 RAILWAY CAR JOURNAL BGX Thomas R. Booth, Indianapoiis, Ind, assignor to Railway Service and Snppiy Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind, a corporation of Indiana Filed Jan. 11, i960, Ser. No. 1,483 8 Ciairns. (til. 308-88) The copending application of Edwin S. Pearce, Serial No. 652,986, filed April 15, 1957, discloses a lubricator for the journal boxes of railway cars, which lubricator requires, within the journal box, ribs or abutments located on the opposite side walls of the journal box approximately at the height of the journal-axis. Somewhat similar abutments or ribs are used for other purposes, such as supports for stop blocks designed to limit movement of the journal relative to the box in a direction fore-andaft of the railway car. The provision of such ribs or abutments in journal boxes not originally formed with them is more or less troublesome and expensive.

My invention therefore contemplates an attachment which can be applied to the interior of a journal box and which will provide abutments, ribs, shelves, or the like wherever such elements are desired. In its preferred form, the invention contemplates a sheet-metal liner designed to fit within the lower portion of the journal box against the walls thereof and conveniently terminating approximately at the elevation of the desired ribs, abutments, or shelves. The latter elements are provided on the liner and are insertable into and removable from the journal box with the liner. To hold the liner releasably in place, I preferably employ a U-shaped bale the ends of which are pivotally connected to the front corners of the liner, the legs of which extend upwardly adjacent the side walls of the journal box, and the intermediate portion of which engages the upper wall or roof of the journal box. Desirably, the liner is formed of spring stock to a curvature somewhat less than it will have when in place, and the bale is formed of spring wire and so designed that when it is in position it will exert a substantial downward effort on the front corners of the liner and, in cooperation with the resilience of the liner, force the liner into contact with the journal box wall for its full extent parallel to the journal axis.

Another aspect of my invention involves the employment of a liner such as above described to support stop blocks having the function of limiting horizontal transverse movements of the journal in the journal box. For this purpose I provide the ends of the liner with shelves which extend inwardly of the journal box and the inner edges of which are formed to provide hook-like lips which extend a short distance outwardly relative to the journal box and are located above the shelves. Each of the stop blocks has adjacent itslower edge an inwardly facing, longitudinally extending groove adapted to receive the associated lip. By elevating the journal box relative to the axle, each stop block can be inserted into the journal box, disposed in an inwardly cocked position while its groove is engaged with the associated lip, and then rocked into an upright position against the adjacent side wall of the journal box, after which the journal box may be lowered, to bring the stop blocks into the horizontal plane containing the journal axis.

Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a railway-car journal box on the line 1-1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a vertical axial section through the journal box on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmental prospective view illustrating a step in the insertion of stop-blocks;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view, in partial section, further illustrating the operation of inserting a stop block; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmental elevation illustrating a tool which may be used to facilitate the operation of inserting the stop blocks.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 I have illustrated a generally conventional journal box having a substantially semi-circular lower wall It}, vertically extending side walls 11, and a top wall or roof 12. Such journal box receives an axle journal 15 having, at its outer end, the conventional collar or flange 16.

The journal box of FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown as provided with lubricators of the type disclosed in the aforesaid prior application Serial No. 652,986. Such a lubricator comprises a retainer 20 in the form of a sheet metal strip extending circumferentially of the curved bottom wall 10 of the journal box, a support 21 in the form of a strip of spring metal extending chordally across the journal box below the journal, and a lubricating pad 22 pressed upwardly into contact with the journal by the resilience of the support 21. To prevent creeping of the entire lubricator assembly circumferentially of the bottom 10 of the journal box, prior application Serial No. 652,986 contemplates the provision on the journal box of abutments which will engage the ends of the retainer 20. The present invention provides such abutments on a readily removable and insertable journal-box liner.

The liner 25 shown in the drawing is in the form of a spring sheet-metal plate bent into an arcuate crosssection to have, when unstressed, a radius of curvature substantially greater than that of the bottom journal-box wall It Conveniently, the liner may be formed of springsteel stock of approximately No. 21 gage bent on a radius approximately l5%20% greater than the radius of curvature of the lower journal-box 10. The ends of the liner 25 are bent to form inwardly projecting flanges 26 which, as shown, serve as abutments limiting movement of the retainers 20. Portions of the material forming the liner 25 may be struck inwardly to provide tongues 27 which are located between the two retainers 20 and serve to limit their movement axially of the journal box.

To hold the liner 25 in place, I conveniently employ a bale formed of wire into a general U-shape to provide an intermediate portion 30 and legs 31. The lower ends of the legs 31 are bent to form eyes 32 received in openings provided in fingers 33 secured, as by welding, to the front corners of the liner 25. The roof of the conventional railway-car journal box is provided adjacent its outer end with a lug or rib 35 which serves to retain the customary brass-wedge (not shown). Such lug or web 35 is conveniently used to retain the bale 30-31 in operative position. To this end, the legs 31 of the bale may be provided adjacent the portion 30 with downwardly oflfset portions 36 adapted to receive the lug or rib 35 in the manner best illustrated in FIG. 2. To increase the resilience of the bale-legs 31, they may be formed intermediately with loops 37 of one or more turns.

In applyingthe liner 25, it is inserted into the journal box through the opening in the outer end thereof and passed beneath the collar 16 into a position below the journal. If necessary to effect insertion of the liner, the journal brass and wedge may be removed and the axle elevated relative to the journal box to increase the.

clearance between the journal and the bottom wall 10 of the journal box. When the liner has been positioned in proper location on the lower wall 10 of the journal box, the bale 3tl-31 is swung upwardly into the position shown in FIG. 2, with the lug or rib 35 of the journal box received in the offset portions 36 of the bale-legs 31. In this position, the bale is stressed and exerts a substantial downward effort on the front corners of the liner. Such effort, in cooperation with the resilient stressing of the liner itself, holds the liner in contact with the bottom journal-box wall for its full extent axially of the journal. With the liner in place, the flanges 26 at its ends extend inwardly past the ends of the retainers and serve as abutments limiting movement of the retainers circumferentially of the journal box.

Aspreviously indicated, the liner may be used for purposes other than that of locating the lubricators shown in the drawing. For example, the liner may be. used to support and locate stop blocks serving to limit movement of the journal in a horizontal plane transversely of its axis relative to the journal box. Each of the stop blocks shown in the drawing comprises a backing 40 and a facing 41 of a metal, such as brass, having good wearing properties. The material of which the backing 40 is formed may vary, but I prefer to use aluminum. The backing and facingmay be secured together by bolts 42, the heads and nuts of which are received in recesses appropriately provided in the backing 40 and facing 41.

To adapt the liner for support of the stop blocks, sheet-metal shelves 44 may be secured to the ends of the liner. As shown, such shelves overlie the flanges 26, to which they are secured, as by spot-welding. The inner edge of the metal forming each shelf 44 is shown as bent to provide an outwardly directed hook-like lip 45 located above and in spaced relation to the self 44. The backing of each stop block projects downwardly below the facing 41 and is there provided on its inner surface with a longitudinal groove defining a rib 46 adapted to be received in the lip To locate the stop blocks axially of the journal box, the sheet metal of which each shelf 44 is formed may be provided with spaced upstuck tongues 47 constituting abutments between which the associated block is received.

To facilitate insertion of the stop blocks into the journal box, the inner face of each backing 40 is provided at its ends with L-shaped slots 48 adapted to receive an inserting tool 49 in the form of a metal bar having a projection 50 at its ends. As will be evident from FIG. 5, the end of the tool 49 can be inserted into the slot 48 in such manner that the stop block will be supported from the tool and can be positioned by manipulation thereof.

To insert the stop blocks 40-41, the truck frames, with which the journal boxes are integral, may be elevated relative to the journals by jacks such as are indicated fragmentally at 51 in FIG. 3. truck frame brings the shelves 44 well above the axis of the journal and permits a stop block, carried by the end of the tool 49, to be inserted into the journal box above the shelf 44 and in the inwardly cocked position illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 4. While in such cocked position, the tool 49 is manipulated to engage the rib 46 in the hook-like lip 45 of the stop block, and the stop block is then rotated outwardly into a vertical position where it will be supported on the shelf 44 and lie against the inner face of the journal box wall, where it is located axially of the journal box by the tongues 46. When the stop blocks are located in the full-line position shown in FIG. 4, the tool 49-is lowered and withdrawn; and when all the stop blocks asociated with the truck frame have been positioned, the jacks 51 are operated to lower the truck frame and bring the journal box into such a position that the stop blocks will lie in the horizontal plane of the journal-axis, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

When a liner such as above described is used to support and locate stop blocks or other elements which are located above the ends of the liner and which may be called upon to transmit substantial forces to the journal box, it may be desirable to connect the elements to the liner in such fashion that engagement of the supported elements with the side walls of the journal box limits approach of the Such elevation of the 4 ends of the liner to such walls. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, each shelf 44 may have a width such that when the rib 46 is seated in the lip 45 the stop block will project a short distance outwardly beyond the outer face of the liner. Such an arrangement insures firm contact between the stop block and the journal-box wall.

Tolerances for journal-box widths and journal diameters are such that it may be advisable for stop blocks 40-41 to be effectively variable in thickness. To that end, the stop blocks may include shims 60 of sheet metal located between the backing and facing. By adding or withdrawing shims, the stop blocks can be given the over-all thickness necessary to provide the proper clearance between them and the journal.

It is to be understood that in its broader aspects my invention is not limited to the particular element or elements supported by the liner. Neither is it limited in respect to whether the supported elements are, like the flanges 26 and tongues 27, permanently attached to or integral with the liner or whether they are, like the stop blocks, removably associated with the liner.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combinaion with a railway car journal box having an open outer end, a curved bottom wall, and a roof, means for supporting an element within said journal box, said means for supporting an element within said journal box, said means comprising a sheet-metal plate overlying said bottom wall and a retainer for holding said plate in contact with the bottom wall, said retainer acting between the plate and the journal box and exerting a downward effort on the former, said plate, when unstressed, having a radius of curvature greater than that of said bottom wall but being resiliently bendable to permit its insertion into position through said open end, said plate, when in position in contact with said bottom wall, 'being resiliently stressed in flcxure, said retainer being a generally U-shaped bale pivoted at its ends to corners of the plate, said bale including resilient, generally parallel legs and an intermediate portion engagcable with the interior of the journal box above the plate to stress the legs and cause them to exert downward effort on the plate corners to which they are connected.

2. The invention of claim 1 with the addition that said bale is formed of spring wire, said wire intermediate the length of each leg being formed into an eye to increase the resilience of the leg.

3. The combination of claim 1 with the addition that said roof has a downwardly projecting rib near its outer end, the legs of said bale having downwardly offset portions releasably receiving said rib.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 with the addition of journal-stops mounted on said plate on opposite sides of the journal in position to limit horizontal transverse movement thereof relative to the journal box, said journal box having side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall to the roof, said journal-stops extending upwardly beyond said plate and engaging said side walls to transmit directly thereto any forces applied to the journal-stops by the journal.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 with the addition of journal-tops mounted on said plate on opposite sides of the journal in position to limit horizontal transverse movement thereof relative to the journal box.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 with the addition that said plate is provided with channels which extend parallel to the journal-axis and which open outwardly, each of said journal-stops being provided with a tongue of hook-like cross-section engageable in one of said channels by a tilting movement of the journal-stop.

7. In combination with a railway car journal box having an open outer end, a curved bottom wall, and a roof, journal lubricating means mounted within the journal box and comprising inner and outer axially spaced elements extending generally circumferentially of said bottom wall, and means for supporting and locating said elements, said last named means comprising a sheet-metal plate overlying said bottom wall and a retainer for holding said plate in contact with the bottom wall, said retainer acting between the plate and the journal box and exerting a downward effort on the former, said plate, when unstressed, having a radius of curvature greater than that of said bottom wall but being resiliently bendable to permit its insertion into position through said open end, said plate, when in position in contact with said bottom wall, being resiliently stressed in fiexure, said elements being resiliently bendable and insertable through the open end of the journal box into positions on said plate, said plate being axially continuous along and adjacent the bottom of the journal box between said elements to provide for continuous support of the inner element as it is moved rearwardly of the journal box into its position, said plate being provided with abutments engageable with said elements to restrict their movement circumferentially of the journal box.

8. In combination with a railway car journal box having an open outer end, a curved bottom wall, and a roof, journal lubricating means mounted within the journal box and comprising inner and outer axially spaced elements extending generally circumferentially of said bottom wall, and means for supporting and locating said elements, said last named means comprising a sheetmetal plate overlying said bottom wall and a retainer for holding said plate in contact with the bottom wall, said retainer acting between the plate and the journal box and exerting a downward efiort on the former, said plate, when unstressed, having a radius of curvature greater than that of said bottom wall but being resiliently bendable to permit its insertion into position through said open end, said plate, when in position in contact with said bottom wall, being resiliently stressed in fiexure, said elements being resiliently bendable and insertable through the open end of the journal box into positions on said plate, said plate being provided between said elements with an abutment limiting approach of the elements toward each other.

References *Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,941,486 Pilcher Jan. 2, 1934 2,271,117 Cornarius Jan. 27, 1942 2,371,247 McMullen et a1. Mar. 13, 1945 2,559,041 Korn July 3, 1951 2,684,878 Foss July 27, 1954 2,812,223 Diggins NOV. 5, 1957 2,819,126 Ortleb Jan. 7, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,122,090 France May 14, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,055,715 September 25, 1962 Thomas R. Booth It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, lines 26 and 27, strike out "said means for supporting an element within said journal b0x,"; line 62, for Yjournal-tops" read journal-stops Signed and sealed this 19th day of March 1963.

(SEAL) Attest:

ESTON G. JOHNSON DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

